New Port Botany facility product destined for Western Sydney and the Princes Highway
Shell Bitumen is now in prime position to exploit the looming New South Wales road-building boom as well as those in other states.
With its new Port Botany facility operational and now officially open, Shell vice president downstream Australia Scott Wyatt said the company now has capability to supply all NSW bitumen grades from five other locations in the eastern states.
They are Pinkenba and Townsville in Queensland, Geelong and Laverton in Victoria and Birkenhead in South Australia.
“Like the Shell Bitumen facility in Geelong, the Port Botany facility includes the capability to blend product ‘in-line’, offering significant product and supply flexibility by allowing production of the complete suite of NSW bitumen grades. In-line blending is a game changer for bitumen customers,” Wyatt says.
NSW Premier Mike Baird and Roads Minister Duncan Gay were on hand to cut the ribbon.
“During the construction of the facility almost 200 people were employed at any one time and thousands more jobs will be created during the construction of these roads,” Gay says.
“This plant is literally making the bitumen for some of our key infrastructure projects including Camden Valley Way in Western Sydney and the Princes Highway upgrades underway in the Illawarra.”
The new facility is owned and operated by Vopak, which specialises in the storage and handling of oil products, LPG and liquid chemicals.
Detailing the tank and gantry cap abilities, Shell says the three bitumen tanks provide over 21,000 tonnes storage capacity.
An automatic, dual bay gantry provides load capacity of 60 tonnes per hour at each bay and the facility offers non-stop operation.
“Remote operation and CCTV visuals for bitumen tanker drivers from the control room help to provide safe and efficient loading,” the company says.